All posts tagged AR15

Combat guns and plinking guns and just having fun

I remember all of those times I spent arguing with people on gunboards about which gun was better and which guns were pieces of junk.   I started out collecting many of the Soviet era military style rifles, namely the SKS rifles.   There are some fun accessories from Tapco that can make even an old relic like an SKS into a more modern looking rifle, but even if it’s not an AK, you can always customize the firearm to your liking.   I wouldn’t expect to use an SKS for house to house clearing, but if you got it for $200 and want to improve the fit to your liking, go right ahead.

One problem I have found with many of the semi-autos I owned was that the length of pull on the guns was very short.  This was not something I go too worked up about with the plinking firearms I owned, but for a primary weapon, the rifle stocks you use on them should fit you like a glove.   Customizing a firearm to fit you is an important step in learning how to effectively use a firearm.   I have learned that the hard way with various rifle scopes that ended up putting a ring around my eye because the stock was so short, I forgot to adjust my bean and got a good thunk.  There is nothing wrong with changing the butt pad on any gun you own to fit you.  Just be aware that when you are wearing a heavy coat or winter clothing that LOP might need to be shorter, so don’t modify your stocks too much, and think about an adjusteable stock for just that purpose.

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Complicating a firearm with buttons and switches?

The era of the over done M4 Carbine seems to be coming to an end, and I have already seen a transition towards the lighter weight Carbines.   When the M4 initially came out, it was suppose to be a lighter weight and smaller weapon to be wielded on the battle field, but many of the ones that I have seen on civilian firing ranges were about the same weight as an M1 Garand.   I have not had very good experience with using pressure switches on flashlights, not only have I seen them fail, like all other wired accessories, but they do open you up to the possibility of snagging on more things.   Something like that would get messed up in a wooded area and in close hallways ect. you can get it caught on just about anything that hangs out.

There is no real advice I can give about what to put on your firearm, all I can tell you to do is to think about the environment you are using it in and think about what “could happen” in that environment.   Streamlight flashlights have worked very well for me, I recently got some negative feedback from a fellow operator about the switches they have on the flashlights now, but I have avoided using pressure switches.   The Streamlight Scorpion I have on my M4 Carbines is located in such a position that I can reach it with my thumb and turn it on and off with ease.

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Boresnake life span, are they worth it?

Are they worth it?  Do they hold up to heavy use?   I have the same 22 caliber bore snake and it has been used in 22LR rifles, AR15 rifles, M4 Carbines, AK74 and Mini 14s.   The same bore snake is approximately 6yrs old and probable gets used about  50 times a year.   I usually run the snake through the gun about 2 times.   I may only need to do it once, but i’m use to using cleaning rods and just get in the habit.   I almost only use Break Free CLP on my firearms, and the occasional grease application, and gun cleaning is now simple.

Cleaning revolvers is probable easier than some semi-autos because there is nothing you really need to disassemble.   I have been using the Hoppes boresnakes for rifle the majority of the time because handguns just don’t seem to be that much of a hassle and I’m really not that worried about how clean the barrels are for any particular accuracy reason.    When it comes to cleaning out a bolt action rifle like a Winchester M70,  It sure does make a difference in cleaning time when you do a one, two, and then just wipe the gun down and put it away.   If you clean the guns often, from my experience there is very little worry about hard to clean areas.

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Buying guns for novice and youngsters

I have had several regrets in selling off firearms that I wish I would have held on to.  One of  my biggest regrets was selling a Russian Saiga rifle off because I couldn’t get anything but 5rd magazines for it, and then I found out that it was possible to legally alter the firearms so that it could take 30rd magazines.   It was a very small gunsmithing alteration that would have been done in a few minutes.  You just had to know that it could be done.

 

Another regret I had was selling off a Ruger 10/22 rifle because the gun wasn’t very accurate compared to my Marline bolt action rifles,  but after taking several kids to the range, I found out that the children under 8yrs old had trouble with the length of the rifle stocks and something as small as the Ruger 10/22 would have worked since it had such a short LOP.   If a gun isn’t junk, you may want to think about why you should hang on to it, because you may wish you did.

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Magpul Pmags, testing reliability after you run it over with a truck!

I often refer to some really good AR15 magazine tests online where guys have posting information on YouTube  and other places of how durable these Magpul PMAGs are.   I’m still waiting for someone to start making gun magazines like this for handguns, and I’m sure that will happen someday, it’s only a matter of time.   I was never a big fan of the AR15 gun because I’ve seen so many of them jam on firing ranges, but that was almost 12yrs ago and I think the AR15 is  now an outstanding firearm if you are using PMAGs.  We’ve shipped so many of them to law enforcement that are using them and now many active military use them.

There are a few variations of the PMAGs and I have only ever heard of one recall on them, but as far as I know, there haven’t many very many changes in them.   There was a very slight change recently, but not a huge one.   There is no reason to keep your GI Mags in your firearm when Magpul PMAGS have been on the playing field long enough to know they are worth their weight in gold. There are things  you can do to the magazines to get them to fit your needs like putting mag assists on the bottom of them.  These can be had in the rubber removable kind or by removing the floor plate and putting the range floor plates on them.  Be advised that these will cause the magazines to protrude and you have to make sure your mag pouches will work with this.

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Optics that hold zero

There are a great many  things that I have learned over the years about what is a combat worthy firearm and what is a hobby type of firearm.   I have seen such huge variations in AR 15 rifles that I really can’t say that some manufacturers of direct impingement firearms are less reliable that gas piston guns.   There are some variations in the older design that have machine their parts so well that they really do run on less lubrication and have run in some tests off thousands and thousands of rounds with out failure.   I will say that gas piston guns will run cleaner, but are they more reliable than a high end AR15?   I don’t think most of us will really ever know the answer to that because there are always variables in how a firearm is maintained and in what climate and conditions it is subjected to.

If I had to issue handguns and rifles to relatives, I’d probable go with a gun that is easy to clean and easy to shoot, if I want a gun for myself, I’ll take the guns that work the best for me.   I know I put more effort into making sure every rifle I own has the right parts staked and loctited down.   I have broken a few Tasco and Simmons optics, but I have never had Leupold rifle scopes, Zeiss or Trijicon optic fail on me.   There are faulty mounts and scope rings out there, but even the less expensive ones will work if you use Loctite on them and don’t over torque them.   Over torque screws on firearms can mean broken screws and I have learned that the hard way with a DSArms SA58.   The FAL is not a very good gun for using optics, but it can work if you lock everything into place.  Cleaning the guns with this scope mounts is difficult, but the FAL can be made into a good DMR gun.

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Some range observations about tactical gloves

I always had issues with using gloves with firearms which stems from my young adult hunting experiences.   The gloves you thought you needed for a hunting trip wouldn’t fit in the trigger guard.  Not only was this a safety issue, it was uncomfortableto hold the firearm because you actually had to squeeze harder just to get through the fluffy texture of the gloves.  The tactical gloves have different applications.  Some are full length which goes up the forearm, mid-lengths are a little shorter, and then there are shorter gloves that basically just cover the hand.   The thing you have to think about is these slight differences are about as relevant as wearing long pants, lightweight pants, and wearing shorts.

The only real difference that I find relevant to what type of tactical gloves to wear are fingerless or full coverage gloves.   Actually, there is one more thing to consider.   Many of the guys that work in tactical operations want the trigger finger glove cut off and this is something else to think about when selecting your gloves.  The Vickers tactical gloves have various cut off points for trigger fingers and will not split or tear beyond that point.   The A106 Duty gloves are only available in black, but the A107 are much a little heavier and give you more wrist coverage.  These will elimnate the need for changing out the trigger guard on your AR15 or M4 variant.

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Mounting an optic and locking it down

Just like every other accessory or firearm, there are pros and cons of any tool.    The novice attitude towards firearms is that a certain firearm is better than another just because they spend more money on customization.    I’ve seen guys with Kimber 45acp that couldn’t hit a plate at 15yds and guys with a Mil-Spec 1911 hit a plate at 100yds.    There are always variables when it comes to accuracy and tolerances, but it’s more than likely all about the skill level of the operator.

When  you are discussing the topic of which rifle scopes are better than others, the real issue would be about the clarity and reticle type and the durability.    I have read so much BS when it comes to rifle scope durability because most of that is from improperly mounted optics.   I’d say 75% of the time I pick up a rifle that is not my own, the rifle scopes are canted or the rings are not loctited.    If you don’t have a scope that is leveled properly, your hold overs are going to be shooting to the left or right of your target instead of dead on, high or low.   You’ll have a heck of a time trying to practice your accuracy because your elevation adjustments will cause your windage to change.  Reliability with an optic has more to do with how you mount it and lock it down than the price you paid for it.

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Transportation and travel with guns

rifle casesSKB and Pelican make gun storage units that will protect your guns if they get knocked around.  The foam pads can always be customized for specific guns and gear and I highly recommend doing so.   I strongly believe in buying gun cases that are for specific firearms and especially so for rifles.   You will be able to fit varying sizes of handguns in the pistol cases depeding on which way you place them, but rifles will get tricky and since most of them will have optics, you gotta be careful how much you pack them.  There are even some rifle cases that can hold your magazines, pistol, and pistol magazines.

There are always pros and cons of certain types of gear for your rifle and there are always trade offs.  A gun sock is good for protecting your guns from some levels of friction, they don’t take up much room in storage and they also don’t add weight to your gun in transport.   Any padded gun case will give you easy  use and easy storage, but when you start transporting firearms that are $1500-$5000 you’re going to want to think about hard rifle cases.   Granted, a sniper drag bag that is properly designed will give you plenty of protection and easy to drag around, but I’m talking about range days or inter State transportation.

 

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Need a suggestion on which gun for home defense?

rifle stocksIf you are thinking about buying your first gun for inside the home, there is no better option than a shotgun.    Some rookie gun shopper may think a shotgun is too powerful, but the reality is there is no better defensive weapon that can be so versatile when it comes to projectile ballistics.  The difference in bullet penetration between a shotgun slug and size 9 shot is tremendous.  Both are incredible leathal at close ranges, but energy is lost very quickly which is an assett in close situations.   Due to modern home construction, there is no better reasoning than to consider what happens to a bullet if it misses the target or if it happens to hit the target and still go on.   There is a saying that there is a lawyer attached to every bullet that exits your gun if it is used in a defensive situation and this very true.

I think the notion of having an Elmer Fudd type of shotgun for home defense is a funny idea, but it’s a very practical defensive weapon.   If you have access to plenty of ammo, shotguns can be reloaded quite easily.   The reality is a pump shogun is a better option due to magazine capacity, but I always warn people that pump shotguns need to be operated properly and people need to understand that they can be very difficult to operate in certain positions.   Short stroking them can also be a problem for a less trained operator, so don’t hand one off to a novice without giving them training.   The Remington 870 has always been my primary shotgun recommendation, but that’s mostly because they can be found for under $250 used, and with just a few bucks  more, a side saddle or magazine tube extension can increase your firepower.   There are also many rifle stocks and accessories that you can mount on them, but please keep in mind that smaller operators will not function as well with heavy guns.  Keep it simple and be practical.

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